Third suspect surrenders in death of pregnant teen

A third suspect has been arrested in a botched Christmas Day robbery in Dolton that led to the fatal shooting of a pregnant 17-year-old girl.

Darius D. Marshall, dressed in jeans and a Ralph Lauren jacket, surrendered around 1:30 p.m. to officers from the Illinois State Police and the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force who were waiting in the lobby of the George Leighton Criminal court building. An arrest warrant for first degree murder had been issued for his arrest in the case.

"Alright young man," an investigator said as he led Marshall away after handcuffing him.

Marshall, 19, along with his two half brothers -- Diante L. Coakley, 21, and Anthony Lee, 16 -- faces first-degree murder charges in the death of Eva Casara, who was about 26 weeks pregnant with the 16-year-old's child.

The baby survived but was reported in critical condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where Casara died Thursday morning, according to Melody Vargas, the slain Chicago teen's aunt.

Casara was picked up by the three suspects on Christmas afternoon and told family members she would be right back, authorities said. Casara had arranged to meet a person at 152nd Street and Dorchester Avenue whom the three intended to rob, according to Assistant State's Attorney Christina Kye.

The person drove up, and Casara and Coakley got in the vehicle's back seat, Kye said. The driver ordered Coakley out of the car after exchanging words, Kye said. He got out and tried to open the driver's side door, Kye said.

Coakley and someone else then opened fire on the car as the driver started to drive away and Casara was hit in the head, authorities said. The driver continued his escape, only realizing Casara was still in the car when he and his passenger heard "gurgling" sounds, Kye said.

He dumped the dying Casara a few blocks away and drove to Hammond, Ind., according to Kye.

Casara was found lying in a pool of blood by a passerby at about 7:45 p.m. on Christmas, Kye said. Police beileve she was outside between 30 and 40 minutes. She was pronounced dead just before 11 a.m. Thursday.

It was not clear Sunday whether the unnamed driver and his passenger were in custody or will be charged with leaving Casara to die. Dolton police and the Cook County state's attorney's office did not return requests for clarification Sunday afternoon.

Lee, of the 15200 block of S. Dante Avenue in Dolton, and Coakley, of the 4700 block of South Indiana Avenue in Chicago, eventually turned themselves in to Dolton police, according to Kye. Lee made a videotaped statement admitting to planning to rob the car's driver, Kye said.

Marshall's attorneys, Ken Fletcher and Stuart Goldberg, said a condition of Marshal's surrender was that investigators sign a document acknowledging Marshall was exercising his constitutional rights not to speak to investigators and not to be questioned without his attorney present.

They said authorities broke that promise by refusing to sign and taking him into custody. "They lied," Goldberg said. "They totally disregarded his constitutional rights."

Fletcher shouted to Marshall not to make any statements as he was led away.

"I'll wait for you Goldberg," Marshall said to his attorneys.

Vargas said Lee and Coakley showed up at the hospital Thursday after Casara had died and as the family was gathering her belongings.

Casara's family members questioned the two about what happened, and Lee told them "the weed man killed her," Vargas said. Lee and Coakley left the hospital after 10 minutes, Vargas said, once Casara's family notified authorities.

Vargas said Sunday that the baby girl was clinging to life. Relatives said she will be named Lailani Paris Casara, a name her mother chose when she learned she was carrying a girl.

"She's living minute by minute," Vargas said of the baby. "That's all we have left of my niece."

Casara was head over heels for Lee, Vargas said, "some type of love we couldn't understand."

Their baby has Lee's eyes, according to Vargas.

"It's his baby," she said. "That's why we don't understand why he left her like that."